Pages

China Factory Visit – Buyer Diary #33 Factory Visit

Why are factory
visits needed?

A factory visit is similar to a factory
audit. It is the assessment of the factory in terms of manufacturing process, quality
control as well as overall condition of the factory. The difference between
factory audit is that factory audit is done by professionals. One of the main
purposes of factory visit is to determine if the factory is good to work with,
long term.

China Factory Visit – Buyer Diary #33 Factory Visit

What should you
observe during a factory visit?

Generally, a factory visit is less
professional, thus there is not a specific criteria list to follow. However,
there is a general list where you could consider following.

·Factory space
(departments)

·Manpower and human
rights

·Factory management
(organization)

·Factory equipment

Factory Space

Factory space is extremely essential in a factory.
The larger the factory, the more space to work with and the neater the factory.
Factories with large space are great because they different departments of
factories can be separated neatly. Manufacturing has several processes and if
each process is separated into specific rooms, the whole production process
would be neater, clearer and easier to manage.

Things to take note:

How are the different stages of production separated?

Are there specific rooms for each stage of
production?

Where is the factory situated?

Manpower and human
rights

I am absolutely sure most of you people have heard
about the poor human rights in many factories in China. As a buyer or exporter,
it is critical to be socially responsible.

Some things to note:

How old are the workers?

What are their duties?

Do they have a place to stay?

How does their accommodation looks like?

Factory Management

It is essential for the factory to be properly managed.
The organization chart is important as properly management would ensure the
smooth running of the production management.

Things to note:

What is the organization structure of
company?

Are there specific managers who will be in
charge of each production stage?

Factory Equipment

The quality of your products will depend
greatly on the factory equipment. Thus, it is essential to inspect the
equipment that is being used for the production of your goods.

Things to take note:

What are the equipment used for the
factory?

During quality check, what are the equipment
the used for inspection?

What equipment is used for specific
production stages – logo printing, cutting of materials, combining all
materials together?

Factory visits are essential, especially in
determining the long-term relationship with the particular factory. For more
tips on China factory visit, follow ODM's series of Buyers Diary.
The Buyer Diary is a journal of one of our clients who made a visit to their
factories in China.